1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to railway monitoring apparatus and, more particularly to a coupling mechanism for coupling railway apparatus to a railway. The present invention also relates to detection and railway switching systems employing such coupling mechanism.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous different types of railroad switching equipment are known and understood in the railroad arts. It is generally understood that a railroad switch apparatus is employed to switch a train from a first set of railroad tracks onto a second set of railroad tracks. Such a railroad switch apparatus typically includes a pair of movable rails, a switch machine for moving the rails, a detection device for detecting the position of the rails, and assorted connective hardware that extends between the movable rails, the switch machine, and the detection device for various purposes. The switch machine provides the forces necessary to move the movable rails between a first position and a second position and to lock the movable rails in the first and second positions. The detection device monitors the position of the movable rails.
It is also known that railroad equipment including railroad switch apparatuses are typically subjected to extreme punishment and distortions due to the substantial forces and vibrations transmitted from passing railroad trains, as well as severe environmental conditions including heat, snow, and ice which can greatly distort and wear components. Railroad equipment thus is preferably designed and configured generally to resist the effects of such harsh conditions, and to perform reliably under such conditions.
It is further known that railroad tracks and other related equipment extend across many remote regions, commonly referred to as “dark territory”, and that trains commonly travel on such remote tracks at all hours of the day and night. As such, railroad personnel must be available to inspect and, if necessary, repair railroad equipment at numerous remote locations at any hour. As the skill level of railroad maintenance personnel varies greatly, railroad equipment is preferably of a relatively simple configuration that can be repaired with a minimal number of tools in order to limit the number of potential points of failure of such railroad equipment and to facilitate repair by virtually any railroad personnel no matter the skill level or the quantity of tools available to such personnel.
In order to ensure the proper functioning of railroad switch apparatuses in all types of weather conditions and to resist breakage and maladjustment of such switch apparatuses, the connective hardware that extends between a switch machine and a pair of movable rails has typically included connecting rods that have been substantially rigidly connected with function rods that are part of the switch machine and that are movable with respect to other parts of the switch machine. While such rigid connections generally enhance the reliability of railroad switch apparatuses, such rigid connections nevertheless increase the difficulty and expense of installing and maintaining railroad equipment due to the degree of alignment that must be attained between the switch machine and the movable tracks.
During installation and replacement of conventional railroad switch apparatuses, special care is required to align the switch machine with the movable tracks in order to ensure that the connective hardware that is rigidly connected between the switch machine and the movable tracks is properly connected, and that such connective hardware operates properly without the components thereof or the movable tracks binding during operation. Commonly, such conventional switch machines are mounted a distance from the rails of the railroad, typically on the wooden ties to which the rails were mounted or on cement pads near the wooden ties, with the base of the switch machine needing to be aligned either flush with the lower surfaces of the tracks or at a given vertical distance from such lower surfaces. Such alignment typically is burdensome and costly to achieve during initial construction, and is particularly difficult and time consuming after repair or replacement of a switch machine due to the gradual deterioration of railroad ties and the difficulty of reliably employing such ties to align a switch machine with railroad tracks.
Accordingly, there is room for improvement in structures that facilitate installation of a switch machine and connection thereof with the movable tracks of a railroad switch apparatus while providing the necessary reliability and resistance to the effects of environmental conditions in which the switch apparatus is employed.